Police have released the names of the seven Albertans who died in a fiery SUV crash in northern Colorado earlier this week.
They are: Jacob Rempel, Sr., 42, Susana Rempel, 40, Jacob Rempel Jr., 16, all of Vauxhall; Susana Rempel, 30, Johan Rempel, 3, and 21-month-old Heinrich Rempel, all of Willingdon, and Joseph Dick, 33, of Taber.
"It's an awful, awful tragedy compounded by the fact that it was Thanksgiving Day here in Colorado," State Trooper David Hall told The Canadian Press. "This is really hard for the people on the scene. They took it really tough."
Autopsies were performed on all the victims Friday.
State police say the crash happened on Interstate 25 near Johnstown, Colo., about 65 kilometres north of Denver.
Police say the SUV was northbound at about 4:30 a.m. when it veered into the median and went airborne between two bridges that cross over another road. It burst into flames on impact.
Investigators are trying to figure out what caused the crash and have ruled out the weather as a factor.
"We look at any number of contributing factors: alcohol, drugs, speed, weather," said Hall. "We have ruled out weather as the cause of this crash."
With files from The Canadian Press
